Chapter 11
If one door closes and another suddenly opens… your house is probably haunted.
-T-shirt
Winter
I felt the change in the air as soon as he entered the gym where I was working out. He walked straight for the parallel bars and started doing leg lifts that showed off his rock hard abs. Sweat dripped slowly down the toned ridges of his chest and disappeared into the waistband of his boxer briefs. His shorts rode just under the waistband of his underwear, and I just about drooled when I thought about licking along that line.
His chest and abs were free of ink, but his newest acquisition that spanned from his left wrist to his lower back on the right side popped with color. The design itself started at his left shoulder. It was an eagle. Its wingspan went down his left arm, and flowed down his back at a diagonal angle to his right hip. The feathers of the eagle were colored in with red, white, and blue.
There was also lettering in between the feathers that was written in his grandfather’s native tongue. Cherokee was a beautiful language when written down. All flowing letters and beautiful bold lettering. He told me the poem was about strength, honor, and courage. He also said he’d been thinking about getting it since his friend died a few years back, while on a mission.
The tattoo had taken multiple visits to the tattoo parlor to finish, but the product was flawless. A perfect memorial.
I’d never met Dougie, but I knew I loved him. He’d watched over my husband for five years. Kept him alive for me. When Dougie died, it’d really torn Jack up. He’d lost so much in his twenty-seven years, and Dougie’s death had brought up the feelings of losing someone he loved all over again.
He told me about Dougie the first time when I met Kayla, the little five year old who was absolutely the cutest kid on earth. Jack said she was the spitting image of Dougie, with the long, curly dirty blonde hair and pasty white skin. He just wished she didn’t have to grow up without her daddy.
Each of the members of Free tried their hardest to make the little girl feel welcome. Each man acted as a substitute father, and would continue to do so forever. They loved her like one of their own.
“Switch!” The trainer boomed over the speakers.
Today was a particularly grueling workout, and I was about to fall over and die. Not that I would let that happen with Jack around to witness my embarrassment. Handing the focus paddle to my partner, we went through another round of imagining the instructor’s face as we slapped the focus paddle with every ounce of strength we posessed.
“Whew boy, he is fine!” A large black woman said from the step to my right.
I agreed silently, but continued with my turn. My lungs were burning and my legs ached from running in between sets.
The woman was absolutely hilarious. We’d been complaining for nearly an hour now about how hard the trainer was being on us today.
“Bom-chicka-wa-wow.” She said shaking her butt.
I turned in the direction her eyes were focused on and smiled. Jack had moved to the stair climber. Now you could see the tattoo. You could also see the muscles in his back and legs bunch and contract with each revolution.
No matter how mad at him I was, I never stopped wanting to jump on his cock and ride him like a cowgirl taming a bronco. Even though he hadn’t let me have a moment’s peace, I knew he was doing it for me. He didn’t want anything to happen to me, and for that to happen, he went everywhere that I went. Or someone did when he couldn’t. It’s just that it’d been over a month and a half now, and I was just plain over it.
“That,” I said panting for breath. “is my husband.
“Damn.” She said in a dejected tone.
That’s right people; he’s all mine.
“Alright everyone,” The trainer yelled. “Have a great weekend. See y’all Monday!”
As I went to grab my phone and water, I saw some chick that looked immaculately perfect walk in the direction of Jack. Her hair didn’t have one single strand out of place. Her boobs were perky and beautifully arranged in her halter workout tank. Her tight black capri pants displayed her beautiful lower half as well.
“What the hell is she even doing here? She’s done. Get the fuck out so the rest of us don’t have to look at your perfect body.” I mumbled.
“Amen.” The lady I’d been goofing off with during the workout agreed.
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Cookie.” She smiled.
“See you next week, Cookie!” I said and took off towards Jack.
Rounding the gate that separated the basketball court from the gym, I saw that the woman’s hand was resting on Jack’s bicep. She smiled, flicked her hair over her shoulder and started blabbing about not seeing him in forever.
“Laura.” He nodded curtly.
Understanding dawned, and I moved to Jack’s side. “Good workout?” I asked Laura.
Her frown told me she wasn’t very happy with this newest development. Apparently I was standing too close to her prey. “And who are you?”
Jack pulled me tight against his glistening body and I grimaced. Sweat wasn’t so bad when it wasn’t pouring from you in rivulets. When two people were both doing it at the same time, it was really quite gross. I didn’t move, however.
“This is my wife, Winter. Winter,” He said gesturing with his head. “This is Laura. She works with Cheyenne and Payton.”
“Nice to meet you.” Not.
Her mouth gaped open in surprise.
Cookie laughed as she passed and saw Laura’s expression. “It’s okay, honey. I think everyone’s heart is smashed into pieces.” She said, gesturing to all the woman who were loitering and none too obviously staring.
“We went on a date a few weeks ago.” She finally said.
Jack sighed. “That wasn’t a date. That was a ‘you happened to be there when I was’ situation. And it’s been nearly two months now.”
Fury overtook her features. “But you said you’d see me some time! If I’d known you had an ugly, fat wife I would have left you alone!”
Jack took a threatening step forward, but I stopped him. “Have you ever heard the term ‘more cushion for the pushin’?”
Her lip curled in a snarl. “No, actually I have not. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to find a bathroom.”
“Going to poopsterbate?” I asked sweetly and fluttering my eyes.
She stopped and turned. “What, exactly, does that mean?”
“You know, when you poop and masturbate at the same time.”
Jack was going crazy behind me, trying to hold in his laughs. Cookie wasn’t, however. She was bent over wheezing wiping tears from her eyes as she walked out the door.
“That’s just sick,” Laura said with an upturned nose before walking off.
“Poopsterbating?” Jack asked.
I smiled. I’d learned that one from my Word a Day calendar, dirty edition, just yesterday.
“Let’s go. I need a shower. My breasts are sliding against each other, and it feels disgusting.”
Jack finally looked down to verify that my boobs were, indeed, sweating. Then his eyes took on that lustful look he gets when he’s thinking naughty things. “We could always go take care of that.”
My womb clenched at his words and the heat in his eyes. Heat pooled in my core, and I was ready with just the husky sound of his voice. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You have to be at work in an hour to do a parts run, remember?” I said hoarsely.
I was trying to keep him on track, but the hand he used to bring me closer to his body was perilously close to my breast. If he tried, he could use the pad of his thumb to rub my nipple easily. When my body made contact with his, I could feel the hard ridge of his cock digging into my crotch.
“You should probably walk behind me when we leave. I don’t want Laura to get a look at that big cock of yours.” I teased with a twist of my hips.
Breath hissed into his lungs, and I suddenly found myself turned and herded towards the men’s locker room. However, when we got there, there was a sign that said it was being cleaned, and to give the custodian ten minutes.
I snickered when I saw the look of dismay on his face. Then his eyes turned positively jovial as he turned me and pushed into the women’s locker room. I rolled my eyes, but I was just as ready for him as he was for me. I didn’t really care if we had to fuck in front of them at this point either.
Who was I kidding? I was a prude. I definitely wouldn’t have done it in front of them, but it was a nice thought. Pulling my hand in protest, he stopped and pressed me up against some of the lockers before silencing my protest with his lips.
After pillaging my mouth with his tongue, he pulled away and stared into my eyes. His green eyes bore into mine as he said, “Shhh.”
My mouth hung open like a gaping hole as he ground into me. I glanced around the locker room, but didn’t see anyone. I did hear them, though. They were most likely in the sauna, which was on the opposite side of the locker room with a hot tub right next to it.
Slowly, Jack leaned back until he was sure I was steady on my feet, and then took my hand again, leading me into one of the dressing rooms. Once the latch slid home, I found myself turned and pressed face first against the smooth tile of the wall.
The tile was a sharp contrast compared to the overheated skin of my chest and face. “I’m going to fuck you right here. You’re going to be a good girl and keep your mouth shut. Got it?” He rasped as his lips ran the length of my neck.
His hands yanked my pants down my legs to knee level. Just as I felt his hard cock press up against the length of my ass, a gaggle of women poured into the surrounding locker room.
“That was a hard class, Cindy!” One woman exclaimed.
Jack’s cock found its way between my legs to where it was sandwiched in between both of my thighs. I pressed my butt out further to give him more room, and he yanked the shirt down that was holding my breasts in place, making them bounce free. I gasped at the suddenness of it, and then clamped my teeth shut when his rough fingers plucked both of my nipples.
“That’s spin class for you! Want to come again on Thursday?” Cindy asked.
I ignored the voices as best I could, and concentrated on the feel of my nipples being rolled between his thumb and forefinger. Not being able to stand it any longer, my hand drifted down my stomach and into my folds.
Jack’s cock head bumped into my fingers as he worked himself between my slippery folds. Just from the feel of it, I could tell that he was coated in my juices, and would slide in deep with his first thrust with little resistance.
Dipping into my soaked core, I gathered up my wetness on two fingers, and then moved to my clit. My clit was swollen and tender when my fingers finally found it. My head fell back against Jack’s shoulder as my mouth opened on a moan.
“You okay, Donna?” Cindy asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine, why?” Donna wondered.
“Nothing, just thought I heard a groan.”
Just as I got my first good rotation in on my clit, my hand was ripped away, and my fingers found their way between Jack’s lips. He sucked them hard and deep before lapping at the juices with his tongue.
My fingers left his mouth with a pop, and he whispered, “Step out of your shoes.”
I did as instructed, toeing off each shoe with the other foot. Cupping my sex, he pressed the head of his cock firmly against my nub, and I about lost it. Letting go, his hand ran down the length of my thigh before hooking his hand underneath my right leg and opened it wide.
Cool air kissed my overheated folds, and I shivered.
“Put my cock in you.” He growled against my ear.
Shivering again, I did as instructed. Reaching between my legs, I positioned the head of his cock at my opening, and then tilted my hips to give him easier access.
Needing no further help, Jack buried himself deep in one hard thrust. Pulling out, he reentered me again with the same swiftness of the first. I was panting, trying my hardest to be quiet, but I wasn’t so sure I would be able to keep it together for long.
Each drag and pull of his cock hit something perfectly inside of me. I was so wet, that it felt absolutely heavenly. The raise of my leg enabled him to get further inside of me, and the contrast of the cool air on my folds was nearly my undoing.
“Don’t come yet.” He said as he dropped my leg back to the ground.
This new position had a tightness to it. The length of his cock hit me in a different spot, and I felt myself getting wetter. The slap of the saddle of his hips meeting my ass was driving me higher and higher each time I heard it. There were also the wet sounds of his dick pounding into me. Each withdraw and advance you could hear the sucking sound of my pussy not wanting to let his cock go.
“I can’t. I’m close.” I gasped.
“What is that?” Another woman asked, breaking through some of my sex induced fog.
“It sounds like someone’s fucking.”
I knew that voice. It was Laura, and she sounded disgusted. I ignored them.
Jack didn’t however. Pulling out abruptly, I found myself being turned and lifted into the air. The next instant I found myself full of his cock with my back pressed against the tile. My legs circled his hips, and my hands found their way into his hair. Pulling hard, I brought his mouth down to mine.
My tongue entered his mouth, and he sucked hard before releasing it. I bit down roughly on his lower lip and he started pounding into me harder. “Fuck.”
“I’m getting management.” Laura said snottily.
“I’m close. Hurry.” Jack demanded quietly.
I didn’t need the announcement though, because soon I was soaring. Each pound of his cock brought me closer and closer to the edge until, finally, I was pushed over. Jack’s mouth covered mine as I came. He swallowed my gasps and cries with his mouth. He grunted, and I felt the added warmth as he came inside of me.
Both of us were panting hard, staring at each other with wide smiles once we both finished coming.
“You need to get dressed.” Jack said quietly, as he let my legs go.
Wetness oozed out as his cock slid out of me, and I grimaced. Knowing there was no other way around it, I pulled my sweaty clothes back on, followed by my shoes.
“What’s going on?” An authoritative voice asked.
My eyes went wide as I stared at Jack. I really didn’t want to be kicked out of this gym. I loved it.
His eyes started moving around the area, and they stopped on the small rectangular window. His grin told me all I needed to know. Reaching up, he undid the old-fashioned latch, and pushed it open to the outside.
Holding out his hand, I placed mine in his and walked forward to where I was standing directly in front of it. Grabbing me around the waist, he hoisted me up above his head effortlessly, and I crawled out the window and promptly fell onto my ass once I let go.
Jack almost made it look like art as he came out the window. He landed deftly onto both feet, and extended his hand to help me up from the ground.
I laughed and took it. “Let’s go. I need a shower.”
He walked with me, hand and hand, to his motorcycle. Yanking a t-shirt out of his saddlebags, he shrugged it on over his head, and swung his leg over the bike. Handing me my helmet, I put it on and watched as he did the same with his. Swinging my own leg over, I snuggled up close to his back, and placed my feet on the pegs.
He started the bike with a deep throaty roar, and the vibrations did funny things to my over sensitized lower half that had me squirming behind him.
Jack’s deep bellow of laughter proceeded us out of the parking lot.
***
Gabe snickered as I helped the fallen woman off the ground. I glared at him but kept my mouth shut.
He was my shadow for the next few hours, while Jack made his parts run to Dallas. I was at a patient’s house where we got a call for an “unknown injury.”
“Can you tell me what happened?” I asked with barely restrained annoyance.
“Well, I was opening the mail and I got a paper cut.” The young woman said.
My eyes closed for a few moments while I took her blood pressure. “You got a paper cut.” I said for clarification.
“Yeah.”
“Ma’am. This paper cut isn’t even bleeding anymore. What did you want me to do?”
“Well, you can, like, put a Band-Aid on it, can’t you?”
Gabe was turning around and walking to the side of the house where he could no doubt laugh in peace. “Yes, ma’am. But when you call 911, you take our resources away from someone who could really need it.”
“I did need it. My finger was bleeding, and I couldn’t get my husband to get out of bed.”
“Your husband is ignoring you?” I asked.
I wasn’t really surprised, either. I’d ignore the bitch, too.
“Yeah. I called and called for him to get out of bed and bring me a Band-aid, but he never came, so I called you.”
“Did you check on your husband after you called 911?” I asked.
“No. I’m mad at him.”
Putting the bandage over her finger, I stood and made my way into the house. “Which way to your bedroom?”
The house was an absolute pigsty. Trash lined the walls. The trashcan was overflowing. Bugs ran skittering away as I walked through, and there was an odd smell in the air.
“Through that first doorway on your left. Is your partner coming in?” She asked.
My so called “partner” was still in the truck. Danni, with an ‘I’ didn’t want to get out because it was only a BS call. My partner was also spoiled rotten and probably got this job because she has family in the company.
I ignored the question and continued into the room. The smell was much stronger here. It smelled like urine and feces, and I about gagged. My hand lifted to cover my face, and I approached the lump on the bed with a foreboding feeling.
As soon as I reached the man’s side, I knew he was dead. Rolling him over, the first thing I became aware of was the stiffness. Rigor mortis had set in, which meant he’d been dead for a while.
Sighing, I turned to the woman. “Your husband is dead.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I said in all confidence.
“Well, that’s no good. How the hell am I supposed to eat?” She asked.
My mouth dropped open, and I stood staring at her flabbergasted. “Your husband is dead and you’re worried about what you’re supposed to eat?”
“Well, yeah. He’s the one who buys the groceries.”
And pays for them. I didn’t say it out loud, even though I wanted to.
Palming the radio at my shoulder, I called it in. “Dispatch, we need the police. Priority zero.”
Priority zero meant the patient was dead, and there was no reason to hurry. Police had to be notified each time a death occurred. The coroner would also be contacted by dispatch to pronounce the man dead before he would be taken from the residence.
Walking out of the room with the woman following close beside me, I came out into the yard and took a nice big breath of clean air. Gabe was leaning against the side of his bike and Danni with an “I” was trying to chat with him, but he was as closed off towards her as one could be.
When he saw me exit the house, his eyes immediately zeroed on to me. “Danni, I need you to take in the stretcher and an extra sheet. Please cover the body in the first bedroom.”
She gave me an annoyed look and huffed back to the truck. Turning my attention back to Gabe, I saw he had his eyes raised in question.
“The woman’s husband’s dead. Which is why he wouldn’t get her a Band-aid.”
Gabe’s eyes closed, and I admired his dark lashes as they laid down against the upper part of his cheeks. He was a very handsome man. Strong. Built in all the right places. Leaning up against the bike as he was doing, he looked like every woman’s wet dream.
His lip curled in disgust, but he didn’t comment on the idiocy of the woman.
Thirty minutes later, we were back at the station. I was laying down in bed contemplating another line of work when the phone rang in my pocket. Jack’s profile popped up on the screen, and a smile took over my lips.
“Hey.” I said.
It came out a lot more breathy then I’d intended.
“Hi.” He clipped.
He sounded off. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just got home and a copy of Adam’s will was delivered to me. He left me something, which means I have to make another trip to San Antonio next Monday.” He said gruffly.
I grimaced. “I can’t go. I’m on shift, and if I call in I won’t have a job anymore.”
Not that I needed it. When Allen had come to see me earlier, he’d had a proposition for me. Since I’d already proven myself a competent medic, he’d asked me if I wanted to be one of the first medics to join the KFD.
They’d recently decided to start doing their own EMS calls in the city limit, and if I wanted to, I could be their first recruit. He’d told me to think on it, and call him when I’d decided. However, after the crap that my current employers put me through this week, I didn’t have to decide anything.
As I’d walked in that morning, I’d gone to see the supervisor and given my two-week’s notice. That wasn’t to say that I wanted to be fired though, which is why I wouldn’t be able to go with him Friday. I’d never been let go from a job, and I didn’t want to start now.
“I don’t want you to go anyway, so that’s good.” He said distracted.
My heart lurched at his words. What had I done that he didn’t want me with him? Had I been too clingy? Granted, I still didn’t have all of my memory back, but it had gotten better. I still had a big black hole of when the attack happened, but he’d said we would figure it out. Had he changed his mind?
“Listen, I have to go. See you in the morning.” He said before he hung up.
I stared at the black screen of my phone in confusion. What the hell had just happened?
***
Jack
“What the hell was that?” Tai asked me.
I glanced at him wondering what the hell he was talking about. “What was what?”
“You practically hung up on your wife. The last three times I’ve been in the room, you told her you loved her, whether it was on the phone or in person, when she left. What’s your problem?”
I grimaced. She probably thought I was mad at her, but I had so many things on my mind right now that it was the least of my worries.
Thrusting the worries away, I sat at the computer and started to pull up all the files that I’d made for Avis, our newest addition to the Freebirds.
“I have to leave tonight around eight. We’re doing a transport. James and I are going together and we’ll probably be gone until early tomorrow morning.” I said distractedly.
“Mother fucker.” Tai muttered.
My eyes went from the files I was putting onto a USB to Tai’s face. He looked mad, and I wondered what I said to upset him. “What?”
“You could have told her that, too. What if she calls and she can’t get ahold of you?”
Irritation flared through me. “What’s your problem?”
This wasn’t about Winter and me. It was him. Something was bothering him enough that he had to pick a fight with me to relieve some of the stress. His wounds were healing, but they weren’t better. Not by a long shot.
“Why don’t you have any pictures?”
Now I was really confused. “Pictures of what?”
“Anything. You don’t have any of dad, Catori, Winter. Nobody. You also have a fucking big ass duplex, and you don’t have shit in it. Winter’s shit is still in the guestroom in her duffle bag, as if she’s too scared to mess this place up. The house looks like a goddamn tomb.” The last word was finished on a bellow.
Standing slowly, I turned and surveyed the area. He was right, of course, but I wasn’t going to tell him that seeing those pictures made my heart hurt. That they reminded me of what I’d lost, and would never have back. Sure, Winter was back now, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t gone for seven goddamn years. She didn’t feel the pain that I felt, losing the one and only love of your life.
She was blissfully unaware of what she’d lost. I wasn’t though. Which meant seeing reminders of everything I’d lost in my life wasn’t something I wanted to do. Therefore, I had no pictures. No mementoes. The only thing I’d allowed myself was the picture of Winter and I on the bike.
Every time I entered that room, since the day I hung it on the wall, I made a point not to look at it. In fact, sometimes I would have to physically restrain myself from staring at it.
Things changed the day Winter came back into my life. I started thinking about things, letting myself feel for the first time in years. I started to think that maybe, just maybe, I would be allowed to be happy again.
Then that fucking bastard in the Ford fucking Taurus shot at my wife. Jesus Christ, if that DVD player hadn’t been there, she’d be gone. She would be dead, and I wouldn’t have a fucking prayer. I’d have gone out in a blaze of glory, because other than my brother, there was not a damn thing holding me here anymore, if Winter was no longer of this world.
Not a damn thing.
“A month and a half ago, I didn’t have a reason to hang pictures on the wall.” I said lamely.
“You’re lucky she’s back. Don’t fuck it up. Let her in.”
I processed my brother’s words. He’d grown up a lot in the year and a half since my father had died. The last time I’d seen him was at our father’s grave. We hadn’t even spoken to each other.
For the first time in a long time, I was ashamed of myself. I was so busy feeling sorry for myself and everything I’d lost, that I didn’t think about my brother losing everyone also.
“I won’t fuck it up. I love her.”
We ignored each other for the rest of the day. I left at a quarter until seven, and waited patiently outside of James’ duplex. He showed moments later with his daughter, Janie, in tow.
He held up a finger indicating one minute, and then ran over to Sam’s to drop Janie off with Cheyenne. My fingers tapped against the steering wheel as I thought about what Tai had said to me earlier.
Winter’s stuff was still in her duffle. I’d been trying to avoid that detail for over a month now. I knew all her stuff was still packed away nice and neat, ready for her to go at any time. However, I didn’t know how to approach that subject with her. I didn’t want to freak her out, and I certainly didn’t want to push her away from me.
The snick of the truck door opening brought my attention to James as he jumped into the truck. He slammed it behind him, and put his seatbelt on. Rolling his window down, he stared straight ahead and tried his best to hide the fact that he was supremely irritated.
I let him stew though. I didn’t want to talk any more than he did. Neither one of us said anything until we arrived at the Gregg County Airport. “You got her papers?”
I rolled my eyes at his question. Of course I had the fucking papers. “Yeah.”
He grunted and went to help Teal, formerly known as Roslyn, get her bags into the truck. Teal shrunk away from James and he froze in his stride towards her. Holding up his hands, he backed away and waited.
My eyes roamed over her hunched figure and I grimaced. Her hair was pitch black. So black that it blended well with the night. It ran in a long thick braid that ran down her front. It came down to her waist, which meant it’d be even longer if it was flowing free.
Her overly large shirt and baggy blue jeans looked horrible on her. It was blatantly obvious that she’d gotten them at a thrift store. The clothes didn’t detract from her beauty though. Her cheekbones were high, and her eyes had a slight tilt to them that eluded to some Chinese heritage in her family tree. The only two things that gave away her heritage was the black hair and the exotic eyes.
What did stand out was the huge ass bruise that overtook three quarters of her face. From what I’d been told by Sam, her ex-husband wasn’t a very happy man. He wanted her back, and didn’t care what he had to do to keep her there.
She’d been running for six months when she was given our number by another one of our Freebirds that volunteered at a woman’s shelter where we relocated her. She’d called about two weeks later when her ex caught up to her and chained her to the hotel bed. A house cleaner had stopped by and found her like that while the ex was getting dinner.
The police were called, but he’d seen the commotion and high tailed it out of there. Teal didn’t believe for one second that her husband had given up though. Hence, why she called us.
Slowly, she came out of her frightened stance and handed her bag to James with a slight quiver to her hands. He took them gently and dropped them in the bed of the truck before opening the passenger door for her.
She slid in warily, glancing quickly at me before turning away again. She shrunk as far away as possible when she caught my stare. Gritting my teeth, I made eye contact with James, and we shared a moment. Both of us were well aware that this was hard for her. This wasn’t our first rodeo, but damned if it wasn’t hard each and every time a woman cowered away from us.
James strapped the seatbelt on her and the blush that rose over Teal’s face was almost comical. Bright fucking red; the color of ripe cherry tomatoes, rose up from her neck and took over her face. James smiled to himself before he closed the door and got himself settled in the backseat. The man was a “doll” according to Winter, but she kept saying it would have to take someone extremely special to take James on.
“We have you on a bus to Arkansas. There’s a man there that’s going to help you get settled. He’s our former commanding officer, and he’s trustworthy,” I explained, as I handed over the file that had her name and new identification in it. “Memorize this.”
“Thank you.” She said quietly; so quiet that I barely heard it.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw James sitting forward in his seat. As far as the seatbelt allowed. His eyes were focused intently on Teal and I shook my head. Getting attached to these women were not in our best interest, but it wasn’t easy to be so detached. It was in their best interest, however, because they never stayed in our presence for long. It was safer for them, and all the other women we’d relocated in the past.
We were the middlemen in this grown up game of hide and seek. We used our resources and abilities to get them somewhere safe. If we were somehow discovered, we didn’t want to be close to anyone in case anything ever happened and we were discovered as the ones who helped him or her get out.
Flashing red and blue lights shined on the horizon, and I slowed to a stop nearly a mile back. Traffic was being diverted to the shoulder, and the three lanes of the loop were blocked off by multiple fire trucks and ambulances.
After nearly ten minutes of moving at less than a crawl, we finally got close enough to see. Traffic stopped again when we were about ten cars back in order to let a black and white through that was pulling an emergency light.
Other lights were already being set up, and it resembled a miniature football field with all the stadium lights lit, but in a much smaller area.
“Is that Winter?” James asked.
My eyes shifted from the cop car to scan the area. “Where?”
“On top of that car.”
Scanning, my eyes finally found the three vehicles that were in the accident. Two of them were so smashed up, they no longer resembled anything close to a vehicle. The last one was on its side, but at least it didn’t look like it’d been battered by a wrecking ball.
What I saw first was the fiery orange curls bound up on top of a head. Then I saw the heart shaped ass poked high in the air. Not for long though, because she came back up through the passenger window with a car seat in her arms. The car seat had a squalling infant in it.
I breathed a sigh of relief that the baby was okay enough to cry.
The accident looked horrific and whoever was in the other two cars probably weren’t as lucky.
“Line’s moving.” Teal said quietly.
Turning my attention away from Winter, I started to move with the traffic. Just as I was parallel with the overturned cars, I looked over one more time.
Only Winter was no longer preoccupied with the baby, she was staring right at me. Her mouth was opened, her face had a look which resembled pain and her eyes were directly on me.
And Teal.
Fuck.